Goodness, Every Day

Kim and Darrin Wade are the picture of proud parents. Their kid is on the way to an Ivy League school.

There’s just one bump in the road. They don’t have one child, they have four.

Quadruplets, to be exact.

It’s easy to use positive words when the road ahead is clear and bright, but what happens when you’re not sure what’s coming next?

This is the challenge for the Wade family. You could say they’re the family next door. Dad works at General Electric and Mom is a middle school principal. Tuition at an elite college would be tough for one son, let alone four at the same time. The boys have all been accepted to Harvard, Yale and Duke, but there’s a total of 8 schools on the list.

Most parents would have hit the panic button by now. Conversations would be filled with statements like, “What are we going to do?” “There will never be enough.” “How could this ever work out?”

Instead, the Wades aren’t letting fear get the best of them. They’re exchanging anxiety about money for the belief that everything is working out for the best.

Kim Wade says, “We told them if you want to apply, apply…I tell my sons, but I would tell anyone, we have to find a way for our kids to have ownership for their learning. You are here for a reason, you have to work hard for your dreams.”

Zen teacher Norman Fischer described this kind of everyday faith: “Bodhisattvas are committed to their practice, which means to sit, to get up, and to sweep the garden…every day, no matter what. Good times, bad times, they keep on going just the same. Bodhisattvas play the long game. They have confidence in the power of goodness over time.”

In the April series, Speak Your Future, we’ve met people actively shaping the days to come with the words they use. They’re consciously saying “no” to old scripts quietly and persistently running in the background, just like a bad computer program.

Every day they declare a future filled with hope:

• The kids of rural Mississippi are champions of more than chess. In “Welcome to Boomtown,” they modeled how they’re rewriting the ending to a life some would have considered pre-destined.
• In “Make Room For Big Things,” we saw how making small changes to what you say throughout the day can make a big difference. It’s simple: when you consistently support yourself by being trustworthy, amazing people show up to help you with your big goals.
• “Take the Bait” showed how experiencing your dreams of increase and abundance can require letting go of the familiar. For Shannon, professional success tomorrow meant being a little uncomfortable today.

On those days where you find yourself struggling to speak positive words, remember that you’re playing the long game. Dig deep and find your courage and faith. That’s when you can boldly affirm what is possible, not just what is.

It’s never too late to speak your future.